NYU Stern Application Essays and Deadlines for 2009-2010

Recently NYU’s Stern School of Business released its application essays for the the 2009-2010 admissions season.

We recently visited NYU Stern and met with the admissions office as part of the second annual AIGAC conference in New York, and we came away impressed with how much the school has innovated with special academic and job-related programs. Take a look at Veritas Prep’s NYU Stern information page to learn more about the school and see if it’s a good fit for you.

Here are NYU Stern’s deadlines and essays, followed by our comments in italics:

(These deadlines are identical to last year’s.)NYU Stern Application Essays

Think about the decisions you have made in your life. Describe the following (750 words):

(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from the NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?

(This question is the same as last year’s Question #1, although the word count grew from 500 to 750 words. What stands out most about this question vs. other schools’ similar questions is Stern’s emphasis on the choices you’ve made up until now. Be sure to answer that part of the question — don’t simply write about what you’ve done up until now, but also explain why you did those things and made those choices. Stern provides applicants with admissions tips, including podcasts to help you clarify your story. These are great resources for any Stern applicant.)

We take great care to shape the Stern community with individuals who possess both intellectual and interpersonal strengths. We seek individuals who are highly intelligent, collaborative, and committed to flourishing as Stern leaders. Please answer the following questions (500 words):

(a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? Tell us what actions you have taken to learn about us.(b) Describe what most excites you about Stern from both an academic and extracurricular perspective.(c) How do you anticipate making your mark on the Stern community? Be specific about the roles you will take on and the impact you hope to achieve.

(This question is a modification from last year’s Essay #2. The Stern admissions team has removed the part of last year’s question that asked about the toughest piece of feedback you’ve ever received, and as a result this question has evolved to hit the question of “Convince us that you’re passionate about Stern” more directly. Note the emphasis on specifics — don’t speak in generalities or just lift language from the school’s web site. What do you know about NYU Stern that convinces you that it’s right right school for you, and that you’re the ideal Stern student? Looking at this kind of essay question early in the process will hopefully provide the impetus you need to really do your homework.)

Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates. You may use almost any method to convey your message (e.g. words, illustrations). Feel free to be creative.

(This question carries over from last year. Like Booth and Anderson, Stern seeks new ways to learn about what makes you unique. As trite as it sounds, the school really does want to get to know the real you. Stern’s admissions officers are almost begging you to stand out here, which is a reminder about how you can make their job easier by helping them remember the real you. One other note: Just because this question allows you to use any medium, that doesn’t mean that you need to submit something other than the written word. If that’s your best medium, use it. Just be creative with how you use those words, and let the Stern admissions committee get a glimpse of the real you.)

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